The Diary of a CEO

The Diary of a CEO is an interview podcast hosted by British entrepreneur Steven Bartlett that launched in 2017. The program covers business strategy, personal wellness, neuroscience, entrepreneurship, and human behavior.

Bartlett published his first recording on September 29, 2017, using a single microphone in his bedroom while serving as chief executive officer of social media marketing agency Social Chain. Early releases featured introspective solo reflections on executive stress, leadership pressure, and corporate growth. In 2020, the format shifted toward guest interviews conducted in a custom studio with cinematic dark-room lighting. Production moved under Bartlett's media company Flight Studio, maintaining independent distribution across global podcast directories and video channels. In July 2026, Australian broadcaster NOVA Entertainment signed an agreement to manage commercial audio advertising for the show in Australia.

Episodes span two to three hours and follow an unscripted, conversational structure. A signature recurring segment involves a physical journal in which departing guests write an anonymous question for the next interviewee to answer. High-profile guests who have appeared on the show include Snapchat founder Evan Spiegel, neuroscientist Tara Swart, and investor Gary Vaynerchuk. Broadcast clips are packaged into short video segments for digital distribution. In 2022, the UK Advertising Standards Authority upheld complaints regarding commercial disclosures in two episodes, leading to revised sponsorship labeling guidelines across the channel.

The program earned Silver for Best Business Podcast at the British Podcast Awards in July 2021 and won Best International Podcast at the iHeartRadio Podcast Awards in March 2025. Bartlett adapted core leadership lessons from the program into a business book titled The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business and Life, which Penguin published in August 2023. A live theatrical stage adaptation toured venues in the United Kingdom during 2022, accompanied by a live orchestra. Show recordings are archived on Bartlett's official website.